Game



AJUIN? 9, 193k y J. D. znaLEY ET A1. 1,809,098

GAME

Filed Jan. l0. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN D. ZIELEY, OF BEL'MAR, NEW JERSEY, AND HERMAN E. ROYS, NEW' YORK,

N. Y.; SAID ROYS ASSIGNOR TOSAID JOHN D. ZIELEY, OF BELMAR, NEW JERSEY GAME Application led January 10, 1929. Serial No. 331,459.

This invention relates to a game, and with regard to certain more specific features, to a mystery gaine. f

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a game which will be'simple in operation, yet mystifying to the uninitiated player; the provision of a game which will, upon proper manipulation, spell out names, dates, and the like in a manner simulating a response to inquiries made to the spirit world;V the provision of a game which will be amusing to all classes, both young and old; and the provision of a game which will be easily and cheaply fabricated,

" and easily manipulated. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, steps and sequence of steps, features of construction, andarrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are illustrated three of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-.2 of Fig. 1; g

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment Aof Fig. 1, with a certain portion removed; p Y v Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a second form of the invention; and, D A

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a third form of the invention. f

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. Y

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is illustrated at numeral 1 a base board upon which the game is built. This board may be square, as it is in the present embodiment, or it may be of any convenient shape. This base board is preferably mounted removably by 'means of screws upon a supporte. ing covering board 2, (see Fig. 2), lwhich preferred board is preferabiy solid and serves to cover the bottom of the game. lin playing the game, this supporting board 2 rests upon the knees of the players and prevents their knees from interfering with the mechanical parts of the game. The base 1 has a circular opening 3 cut in the center thereof. v Rotatably supported in said opening 3 is an annular disc or control element 5, with a circular opening 7 centrally located in it. Immovably supported by cleats 11 in the opening 7 isa disc 9. The disc 9 is fastened to the base l by said cleats and is immovable with respect thereto. The disc 5 is supported at a slightly higher level than the basel and the disc 9 is in turn mounted slightly higherv than disc 5. It is thus seen that the main por- Y tionfof the game board comprises a square board with a rotatable annular ring centrally located therein. v

As stated, the disc 9 is held in position by the braces 11 (see Fig. 3). These braces are preferably made of iron strips, or Vthe like. A brace 13 passes diagonally across the disc 9. Between the bottom portion 15 of each of the braces 11 andthe rotatably annular disc 5 a space 17 is left, which will be more completely described hereinafter. A. shaft'19 passes through the disc 9 and the brace 13. On its upper, ordinarily visible, end this shaft 19 carries afiixed to it an indicating needle or a controlled hand 21, adapted to rotate with the shaft 19. Below'the brace 13 a long brace 23 is rotatably held by the shaft 19. A pulley 25 of small diameter is atiiXed vto the'lowermost end of the shaft.

The-long brace 23 is not aflixed to the disc 9 in any Way, but its ends are attached to the annular disc 5. The spaces 17 between the braces 11 and the disc 5 serve to hold a series of small rollers 27 which are supported upon a wire or the like 29, which in' turn is supported by the braces 11 and the discv 1 (see Fig. 2). The annular disc, therefore, in turning, retains a true center because of the brace 23 and the rollers 27. It is thus seen that said annular disc 5 easily rotates around the disc 9 and within the'base 1. l .Y

A springerv other-resilient means 3l is ,attachedto the edge ofthe. Opening 3., f A: String;

The string 33 between the pulley 25 and its end 35 passes through a screw eye 37 affixed to the under side of the annular disc 5. Other suitable engaging means may be substituted for the eye 37. It is thus seen thatthe string 33 is pulled when the disc 5 is rotated, and the needle or indicator 21 is thereby rotated upon the surface of disc 9. Dotted lines in Fig. 3 indicate alternate posit-ions taken by the string 33 and the needle 21 when the disc 5 is rotated. It will be noticed that the pulley 25, and therefore the needle 21, are rotated in the same direction whether the disc 5 is rotated to the left or to the right ofthe solid line position in Fig. In other words, regardless of the direction 'of rotationV of the disc 5, theneedle 21 will-rotate in one direction as long as the tension on the string 33 is increasing, and in the opposite direction whenever the tension on the string 33 is decreasing. .This fact provides a very mysterious movement of the needle, that is, in changing its direction of rotation while the disc '5 continues a given direction of rotation.' The change takes place as the screw eye 37passes the center line, and the tension on lthe string 33 ceases decreasing and commences to increase. f

The diameter of the pulley`25 is made small enough s o that a relatively slight radial movei ment of the disc 5 will cause a considerably amplified movement of the needle 21.

lThe upper surface of disc 9 is divided into radial segments 39, and said segments are filled with letters, numbers,v Yes?, No, Stop, and the signs of the Zodiac and thel like as illustrated in Fig. 1. The needle 21 is made of the proper length to point to one of the letters or numbers, as illustrated'. It is thus seen that by proper manipulation of the' disc 5, the needle 21 may be caused' to stop at a predetermined position, indicatingV any predetermined letter,` number, or the like. 'p

The screw eye 37 and the brace 23 -by'en'- gaging with two braces 11 act as stops to prevent more than a predetermined angular rctation of the disc 5. y Y i The game is preferably played in the lowing manner:

` The players sitin a circle supporting the base 1 upon their knees. All of the players place their linger tips lightly on; the disc 5.Y The operator of the game is preferably unknown to the majority of the players. One of the players propounds a question, presumably to the spirit world. The operator, un-

fol-V 4son to the great ,movement of the indicator 21. Tol the imaginative, the apparently uncontrollable antics of the indicator inexplic- -ably moving back and forth and finally stopping at a letter, a number, a Yes or a No, seem mysterious."

Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative form of the invention. In this embodiment, the spring and string are' replaced as a means for driving the indicator 21 by an epicyclic' discv 41 rotatably fixed to the bottom of disc 9-. This disc 41 is either provided with a rubber tire or similar means, as shown, to frictionallyengage the inner edge of annulary disc 5, or itis provided with gear teeth on its edge, to 'engage with similar gear teeth on the inner edge of the annular disc 5. Disc 41 drives the pulley 25A by meansof a belt 43. A relatively small movement of the annular disc 5 will, because of its larger radius, produce a considerably amplified movement of the pulley 254 and the needle or indicator 21. An alternative form of mounting the discs 5 and 9 is also shown in this'embodiment. Thebase 1 is mounted upona solid piece 2, and Vthe disc 9 isimmovably supported upon the piece 2 by means of pins, or posts, 47. These,V pins 47 passV through slots 49 in the novv solid disc y5. The engagement of. these pins 47 with the ends of the slots 49 limits theiang'ular rotation of the disc 5 to a predetermined amount. Pins 51, with i rollers 53 thereon, project from the edgeof the disc 5 `and areconcealed by a'thin eXtension 55 of the baseportion 1. The rollers are made of a proper size to hold the disc 5 at a slight distance abovethe piece 2, to in` sure easy movement of said disc. The shaft 19 is rotatably mounted in piece 2, and passes through atcentral opening or hole 54 in said disc 5.x This shaft again serves'to keep thel disc 5 centralized.V This embodiment has for its chief advantages its solidity'and the absence of metal pieces. i'In allother respects the game is the sameas the first embodiment set forth above. Y Y

In the third embodiment, shown inF'i'g.` 5,

the epicyli'c diso41 of'the -secondembodiment is made large enough to engage directly with'the 'pulleyf 25, either frictionally by means of rubber tires, or directly by means of gear teeth asY illustrated. The belt 43 is therefore dispensed with. f y

In lview of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention Vare achieved and other advantageous results attainedn 1 As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Ve claim:

l. The game which comprises a base, a rota-table disc mounted in said base, a second disc mounted in said rotatable disc, said second disc being stationary with respect to said base, an indicator rotatably mounted on said second disc, and means connecting said rotatable disc and said rotatable indicator whereby said rotatable disc actuates said indicator, said means comprising a shaft for said indicator, a pulley on said shaft and a string affixed at one end to said base, passing diametrically across said rotatable disc and engaging said pulley and resilient means attaching the other end of said string to said base, said string engaging said rotatable disc between said pulley and its end afxed to v said base.

2. The game which comprises a base, a rotatable disc mounted in said base, a second disc mounted in said rotatable disc, said second disc being stationary with respect to said base, said stationary disc having characters on the uppermost face thereof, an indicator rotatably mounted on said second disc, means connecting said rotatable disc and said rotatable indicator whereby said rotatable disc actuates said indicator, said means comprising a shaft for said indicator, a pulley on said shaft and a string affixed at one end to said base, passing diametrically across said rotatable disc and engaging said pulley and resilient means attaching the other end of said string to said base, said string engaging said rotatable disc between said pulley and its end aiiixed to said base.

3. The game which comprises a base, a rotatable disc mounted in said base, a second disc mounted in said rotatable disc, said second disc being stationary with respect to said base, an indicator rotatably mounted on said second disc, and means connecting said rotatable disc and said rotatable indicator whereby said rotatable disc actuates said indica-tor, said means comprising a shaft for said indicator, a'pulley on said `shaft and a string affixed at one end to said base, passing diametrically across said rotatable disc and engL ging said pulley and attached at the other end to said base, said string engaging said rotatable disc between said pulley and its end aiiXed to said base.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification this 4th day of January, 1929.

, JOHN D. ZIELEY.

HERMAN E. ROYS. 

